Vending machine



April 16, 1935.

P. c. SMITH VENDING MACHINE Filed A ril 28, 1954 INVENTOR. Percy 6. Smith HIS ATTORNEYS.

Patented Apr-16,1935 H V 13%,701

UNITED STATES PATENT Fries VENDING MACHINE -Percy C. Smith, Chicago, 111., assignor to John F. Meyer, Chicago, Ill.

' Application April 28, 1934, Serial No. 722,870 2 Claims. (01. 240-2) This invention relates to vending machines. ence to the accompanying drawing, showing the It is an object of this invention to provide cerpreferred form of construction, and, in which: tain improvements in vending machines which Fig. 1 is a perspective View illustrating a preare relatively simple andinexpensive in construcferred embodiment of the invention in conjunction and efficient in use. tion with a vending machine of the crane type 5 Another object of the present invention is to hereinbefore mentioned; provide a new and improved combination illumi Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the vending machine nating and ventilating unit for the mechandise illustrated in Fig. 1 showing the new illuminating display compartment of that particular type of unit in conjunction therewith;

vending machines which are popularly known in Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal, sectional 10 the coin machine industry as crane vending view on line 3-3 in Fig. 4. machines. 7 Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view on line In this type of vending machine a crane and 4-4 in Fig. 3.

V grab hook are manipulated by the vendee or Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view on line operator into positionto grab and then deliver, li5 in Fig. 3; and 15 a preselected article of merchandise from the Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of one of th display compartment to the player or operator. new illuminating units. 1 I-Ieretofore there has been a problem in connec- As has been stated hereinbefore, the present intion with these machines in securing adequate vention contemplates the better, more uniform and proper illumination of the mechandise and glareless illumination of that particulartype 20 storage and display compartment without causof vending machine known in the coin machine ing the light to glare in the eyes of the player industry as cranev machines, and one of the or operator, and prior to the present invention same is illustrated in Fig. l of the drawing,

this has not been accomplished, insofar, as I am wherein it is generally indicated at ill, and comaware. 1 prises an upright cabinet which is of such a It is therefore a'further object of the present height that a person of average. height operatinvention to improve the illumination of the ing or playing the same can readily see into the article or merchandise storage and display comupper and merchandise displaying and storage partment of vending machines of the so-called compartment ll thereof, so as to watch the 0pcrane type hereinbefore mentioned in such a eration of the coin controlled crane i2 and claw 30 manner that the merchandise displaying and I3, by means of which the operator attempts to storage compartment thereof is adequately, unigrab a preselected article of merchandise arformly and properly illuminated without causing ranged in the display compartment El, and if he a glare in the eyes of the player or operator of be successful, the same is delivered or vended the vending machine. to him at the discharge trough or outlet 14, by ac- Another object of the invention is to provide tion of the crane l2 and claw l3.

an illuminating unit for a vending machine of the One of the difliculties heretofore experienced crane type which embodies and uses an ordinary in connection with vending machines of this standard light bulb and a new and improved character has been to illuminate the display 40 parabolic reflector, this unit producing as much compartment II and the merchandise and oper- 40 as three times theeffective illumination in the ating parts uniformly satisfactorily and adedisplay compartmentof the vending machine as quately and yet not cause the light to glare is produced by the elongated tubular show-case against the front wall of the display compartlights heretofore used in vending machines of ment into the eyes of the operator of. the vendthis yp ing machine. For this purpose elongated show- 45 A further object of the invention is to procase illuminating tubes have been used. These, vide anew and improved combination ventilating however, are not satisfactory for a number of and illuminating unit which cannot be removed reasons, among which are that they are of special from the Outside Of the Vending machine and is, construction, they do not illuminate the display therefore, theft-proof. or merchandise compartment adequately, and 50 Additional objects will appear hereinafter. they cause a glare in the eyes of the operator. The invention consists in the novel combina- To overcome the foregoing and other difficultion and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter ties experienced in the prior art, and to accomdescribed and claimed. plish the aforementioned and other objects of the The invention will be best understood by referpresent invention, the same provides, in combination with the top wall l5 of the merchandise displaying and vending compartment II, a new illuminating unit I6; the top wall l5 of the merchandise displaying compartment acting as a support for the new illuminating unit l6, as will appear more fully hereinafter.

The new combination ventilating and illuminating unit l6 comprises a housing I! in which are arranged a control switch 20 and a standard light receptacle or socket I8, containing a standard light bulb IQ of sufficient wattage to illuminate the display compartment l| adequately.

The new combination ventilating and illuminating unit l6 also comprises a parabolic reflector 2| which is formed integrally with the housing I! and includes a substantially annular and vertical side wall 23 that is arranged within an opening 22 formed in the top wall l5 of the display compartment H; the side wall 23 of the reflector 2| having a downwardly flared visor or depending skirt 24 at its forward edge, and is held in position in the opening 22 of the top wall l5 by means of an annular flange 25 formed on the reflector 2| and which bears upon the upper surface of the top wall I 5 of the display compartment II; the unit l6 being fastened to the top wall l5 of the vending machine by means of screws or the like 28 which are threaded through the top wall l5 of the cabinet into a flange 21 formed on the housing H; the housing I! of the new unit being provided with vent holes 29.

The foregoing arrangement of the new combination ventilating and illuminating unit upon, and at the center of the top wall l5, and above the center of the display compartment in the manner shown and described, adequately ventilates the display compartment II and the housing l1 and reflector 2|, and at the same time the parabolic reflector 2| and its visor 24 diffuse the light from the bulb I9 centrally and uniformly down through the display compartment H, giving as much as three times the effective illumination of tubular show-case lights, and without the special construction and expense of the latter, while at the same time the depending skirt or visor 2| of the reflector 2| prevents the glare of the bulb l9 from striking the front wall 26 of the display compartment and the operators eyes, so that the operator of the vending machine and spectators therearound may comfortably watch the operation of the crane l2 and claw l3, and the merchandise arranged in the display compartment I, and the same are well and uniformly illuminated and displayed to good advantage, and yet the operator of the machine and the spectators do not suffer any discomfort from light glaring in their eyes while operating and watching the vending machine, as has been experienced heretofore in connection with vending machines of the crane type.

The new unit being constructed and mounted as shown adequately ventilates the display compartment II and reflector 2| without the necessity for forming other and special holes in the cabinet, the position and location of the same portance because these machines are usually placed in public places.

While I have illlustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification, without department from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. A vending machine cabinet including a top wall provided with a centrally disposed opening and said cabinet including a display compartment arranged below said top wall and having a transparent front; an electrical illuminating unit for said display compartment including a housing mounted upon the said top wall of said cabinet above the latter; an electric lamp socket in said housing; said housing having a reflector portion arranged in said opening and including a visor or skirt portion projecting downwardly through said opening into said display compartment, and facing toward the said transparent front of the latter; an electric lamp having its base mounted in said socket and having its bulb arranged under the said reflector portion of said housing; and means for mounting the said housing and its said reflector portion upon the said top wall of the cabinet including inverted fastening elements extending upwardly from said display compartment through the said top wall of said cabinet and engaging with said housing.

2. A vending machine cabinet including a top wall having an opening formed therein and said cabinet including a display compartment arranged below said top wall and having a transparent front; an electrical illuminating unit for said display compartment including a housing mounted upon the said top wall of said cabinet above the latter; and electric lamp socket in said housing; said housing having a reflector portion arranged in said opening and including a visor or skirt portion projecting downwardly through said opening into said display compartment, and facing toward the said transparent front of the latter; an electric lamp having its base mounted in said socket and having its bulb arranged under the'said reflector portion of said housing; and means for mounting the said housing and its said reflector portion upon the said top wall of the cabinet including inverted fastening elements extending upwardly from said display compartment through the said top wall of said cabinet and engaging with said housing.

PERCY C. SMITH. 

